At Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen and Social Center we believe that everyone deserves to celebrate their birthday. However, many of our guests do not have the resources or nearby families/friends who can help them honor their special day. That’s where the Our Daily Bread Birthday Program comes in. Each guest receives a home-baked cake and a gift bag on their birthday to let them know that someone is thinking of them. This program helps us build community – one smile at a time!
In 2018 our volunteers provided birthday cakes and bags for 276 guests!
Qty/Scheduling: The Birthday Program is 100% volunteer-driven. The number of cakes baked & donated is based on each volunteer’s individual schedule. Some volunteers/groups donate one time, and others donate regularly. We are in need of cake bakers on a regular basis but we ask volunteers to sign up on our calendar in advance to avoid over-stocking.
Cake Description: Two layer, 8-9” round cakes, decorated as elaborately or simply as you want, but should be gender neutral. We do not know which guest will get which cake. Please do not use fresh fruit on cakes, unfortunately they do not fare well once frozen.
Cake Packaging: Cakes should be packaged with the cake flavor and the delivery date written on the front of the box in black marker. We have cakeboxes (for packaging) here that you can pick up before baking the cakes or you can purchase cake boxes on your own. Our boxes are 10” x 10 “x 6” high.
Number of Cakes: We accept donations of 1-20 cakes at a time depending on need. We freeze them to ensure their freshness when a guest comes in with a birthday.
Community Service: We recognize 2 hours of service for each cake baked for up to 6 hours, per person, per month. Also, only 1 person may receive service hour credit per cake baked.
The Birthday Program is 100% volunteer-driven. Volunteers decide how many gift bags they can put together, buy the gift bags and items, assemble the bags, and deliver them to Our Daily Bread. Gender neutral bags -or- creating both male and female targeted bags is encouraged but not required.
Suggestions of items to include(OPEN to other items AS WELL)
– Small gifts – Cologne/perfume – Gift cards – Socks – Gloves – Winter hat – Travel tissue – Travel first aid – Travel manicure set – Soap or body wash – Deodorant – Cotton swabs – Wet wipes – Mouth wash – Dental floss – Toothbrush – Toothpaste – Shaving cream & razor – Conditioner – Shampoo – Hand sanitizer
You can deliver items to our donation door in the back alley. If you are heading south on Race, make a left on Elder, and then an immediate right behind our building. Follow the arrows to the green door and ring the bell. Someone will help you unload and you can be on your way. No parking necessary.